As many of you know from reading my exciting, vibrant, always interesting blog posts, I occasionally have guest blogs. I hope you enjoy this very informative one from Ward Henkel of Efficient energy Solutions Inc;

While clearing out the warehouse and washing the floors, don't forget about one of the most important components that keeps everyone happy in the office, your central air conditioning system. Because your air conditioner is most likely on the roof of your commercial building, it is easily forgotten. The best time of the year to ensure that your air conditioning unit is running efficiently is in the spring when companies may offer special deals and technicians may be more available.

Many contractors now offer service contracts under which they will inspect and service your cooling equipment once a year and provide emergency repair service when or if it is needed. Before purchasing a service contract, be sure to weigh its cost and coverage against the cost and likelihood of future repairs. If your system is new, it probably comes with a warranty, which is included in the purchase price of the system. If you sign a service contract, be sure that it spells out what parts and service are provided and that it doesn't duplicate coverage you already have under the warranty. Because service contracts vary significantly in coverage, compare the coverage offered by several different companies.

Although it is common to find a contractor who will do both service and installation of roof top air conditioners, (replacements and new) there are some contractors who specialize in “service only” and some in “replacement only”. It may be wise to have two companies on board, the installer and the service company. This way you have two good choices, if things go wrong in a very busy cooling season. Nothing worse than having to wait 2 weeks for your air conditioner to get repaired in the middle of August.

You may do some of the maintenance work on your own. If your system has disposable filters, check them every two months and replace when necessary. Clean permanent filters as directed by the manufacturer, and make cleaning duct outlets and registers a part of your regular cleaning routine.